Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone begins with Harry being left on the doorstep of a middle-class Englishman, Mr. Dursley, by Albus Dumbledore, the head of a wizardry academy called Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, who teaches at Hogwarts, and a giant named Hagrid. Dumbledore tells McGonagall that Potter's parents had been killed by someone called Voldemort, who had also tried to kill the baby. Ten years, later the Dursley household is dominated by the son, Dudley, who torments Harry. Dudley, the true son, is spoiled, while the adopted son Harry has to sleep under the stairs in a cupboard and do chores.
Mysterious letters begin arriving for Harry, and Mr. Dursley tries to keep them from him, but they keep arriving through every crack in the house. The family finally flees to a secluded shack on an island on the eve of Harry's eleventh birthday, and at midnight there is a knock on the door and Hagrid hands Harry an admission letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that the Dursleys have tried to deny Harry's wizardry all these years.
The next day, Harry and Hagrid go off to London to shop for school supplies: first to the wizard bank, where Harry learns his parents have left him a large supply of money; then they shop on Diagon Alley, a wizard's commercial street, where Harry gets his school uniform; and he buys books and potions and a magic wand - the companion wand of the evil Voldemort's.
A month later, Harry goes to the train station and catches the train to Hogwarts on track nine and three-quarters. On the train, he befriends other new students - Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, a girl of Muggle parentage. At school the first years take turns putting on the "Sorting Hat" to find out which residential hall they will live in. Harry, Ron and Hermione end up in the Gryffindor house. At school, Harry discovers potions professor, Severus Snape, doesn't like him. During broomstick fly...